No Fight Club

The first rule of No Fight Club is that there is no fight. Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) went to the well of the U.S. House of Representatives to indignantly declare, There is absolutely no fight.

Mr. Boehner is correct. Thats not the good news, its the bad.

As with so much of our overgrown federal government, there isnt much of a battle about it, at least, not between Republicans and Democrats ensconced in Washington. Oh, sure, we hear a ton of bluster and bickering and name-calling, but when it comes to policy, theres not much disagreement on the basics. Both parties favor a government that solves every problem imaginable for everyone every moment of the day or night, 24/7. Globally.

In case of asteroid, make that universally.

Dont worry; be happy: All things are possible. When we hit a bump in the road, we get back into high gear by either raising or lowering taxes, fiddling a tad with regulations, consulting the right experts and preferred scientists, and investing in our future . . . just the right amount, of course.

On the question of where that precise point rests, well, there remains some disagreement.

Much of it phony.

That disingenuousness was the Speakers point: Why do people insist that we have to have a political fight on something where there is no fight? . . . People want to politicize this because its a political year. But, my God, do we have to fight about everything? And now were going to have a fight over womens health. Give me a break.

The political fight of the day was over the bill that did indeed pass. It was about spending money on — er, to be precise, continuing to make American taxpayers subsidize — student loan interest rates to keep them sort of affordable. As Mr. Boehner noted, there is no disagreement between Rs and Ds on John Qs responsibility to pick up the check. Any check. Every check.

All agreed, then, on spending the money. Why not? After you borrow a trillion for your supper and ale, why sweat the cost of a chaser?